The Knack determines Slick Rick lead singer krs 1 states Doug Fieger, perhaps best known for the 1979 hit "My Sharona," underwent brain surgery in L. A. on Thursday. Fieger, 53, had two tumors removed during the operation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, publicist Guy McCain said. Dr. John Yu said the surgery was successful and Fieger was expected to have a full recovery, McCain said in a statement. . "Never doubt," Margaret Mead famously said, "that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. " A vibrant documentary, "Favela Rising," makes the case for that philosophy in the strongest possible terms. Winner of close to a dozen festival awards and one of the films short-listed for last year's documentary Oscar, "Favela Rising" is a remarkable story of transformation and challenge on several levels, some completely unexpected. "Favela Rising" was shot in the same teeming, endless, ultra-violent Rio de Janeiro slums that were the setting for "City of God" and "Pixote. " It shows us that the reality behind those Brazilian films is even more unnerving than their fictionalized portrayals. Vigario Geral, the particular favela directors Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary have focused on, is a place where children are used to falling asleep to gunfire, where the selling of drugs and the violence surrounding it are business as usual. "Favela Rising" tells us that while 467 minors were killed from 1987 to 2001 in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the number in Rio for the same period was 3,937. Anderson Sa, "Favela Rising's" protagonist, is very much a product of that world.
He witnessed his first murder when he was 10 and grew up initially fantasizing about being in the drug world and then actually joining it slick rick snoop . "The problems of your childhood," he says, "stay with you for the rest of your life. "Then, in 1993, after his brother died during a flurry of random killings by Rio's often corrupt and ineffectual police, something changed for Sa slick rapper . He wanted things to be better, he wanted to do something to stem the violence, and so he joined Grupo AfroReggae, an organization founded by Jose Junior that had exactly that goal in mind. Looking at themselves as "a group of destroyed people infected by idealism" and inspired by the Hindu god Shiva, who followed chaos with transformation, the AfroReggae organization was determined to use music as an instrument of change, to offer an alternative to the drug lords as a role model and/or identity for the children of the favela. As the frontman for the group's signature band, AfroReggae, and a charismatic neighborhood organizer, Sa was wonderfully effective in using music to "change our reality. "Through local concerts and classes in dance, drumming and other disciplines, the group galvanized the kids it came across through the music's high energy and furious pride. rapper rick . As the longtime camp manager at Camp Max Straus, Dinah Weldon has watched for years as underprivileged children from sometimes troubled homes blossomed in the freedom of the Verdugo foothills Slick Rick - wikipedia . "One of the questions I like to ask the kids is what they do with their free time at home rap rick . They'll say, 'Oh, there's this little strip of grass in front of my apartment . ' " Or they'll tell Weldon they're afraid of drug dealers on their street, or that they normally spend all day watching television. "You hear it often enough that you just say, 'Oh, you need camp. ' "TV and drug dealers won't be found at Camp Max Straus -- operating since 1938 in Glendale by Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters -- where kids' days are filled with hourlong activities such as swimming, horseback riding and archery. Ten-year-old Savannah, from Canyon Country, east of Santa Clarita, says she enjoys all the activities camp has to offer. "I don't have any favorites It's too hard; I like everything," Savannah says.
She has even mastered making the most of the short breaks after lunch or before lights-out, when she loves to put on fashion shows in her cabin slick rick ladidadi . She likes to emcee while the other girls strut their stuff -- usually pajamas -- on an improvised runway. "She's very energetic," says camp counselor Gaby Hernandez "She loves to talk slick rap . And she helps out the other girls when they're scared -- encouraging them when they're swimming or on the diving board. "At a recent lunchtime in the dining hall, it's Savannah's turn to be the "walker," the camper who brings trays of food from the kitchen to the table, where meals are served family-style. She brings a large plate of grilled cheese sandwiches and a big bowl of tomato soup "I love cheese!" she cries eminem rick . She leaves a huge pile of crusts on her plate after eating the cheesy middle of three sandwiches. Slick Rick tickets At "ranch," an activity in which campers learn about farm animals and domestic science, the kids make ersatz ice cream from milk and sugar hey young world lyrics . They pour the ingredients into a small Ziploc bag, which goes inside a larger bag filled with ice and rock salt. After tossing the bag for 10 minutes, the girls have something resembling ice cream. As "Born to Be Wild" plays on the radio, Savannah tosses her bag of ice into the air. "What are you going to do if that bursts right over your head?" Weldon asks her, laughing. "Mmmm," says Savannah, licking the air around her face. Soon she's gulping down her icy treat and dancing again, this time to "Twist and Shout. "About 10,000 underprivileged kids will go to camp this summer, thanks to $1. 6 million raised last year. The annual fundraising campaign is part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, which this year will match the first $1. 1 million in contributions at 50 cents on the dollar. Donations are tax-deductible For more information, call (213) 237-5771 Slick Rick .
To make donations by credit card, go to latimes /summercamp. To send checks, use the attached coupon slick rick fresh . Do not send cash. Unless requested otherwise, gifts of $50 or more will be acknowledged in The Times. krs 1 . DENVER — Arms folded, his chair jammed against the wall, Joe Maestas glowered at the men who could help his family out of homelessness slick rapper . His wife, Christina, sat at his side, pale and tense. This meeting was their best chance to escape the filthy motel where they and their four children had lived for two years rapper rick. A novel city program had offered them $1,200 to move into a decent rental. But the money came with a catch: For six months, Joe and Christina would have to open their lives to two men assigned to coach the family out of poverty. The Maestas children warmed to the mentors at once as they all gathered in the break room of Christina's workplace in mid-March Corie, 9, drew them a smiling kitty. Domonic, 13, shyly asked for help with his literature homework Slick Rick - wikipedia . Their father tugged his worn baseball cap down low, so his eyes were nearly hidden.
Joe didn't like anyone presuming to help his family, no matter how good their intentions slick rick lyrics . "They tell you how to live," he said. Hailed as a national model, the mentorship program began two years ago after Democratic Mayor John W rap rick. Hickenlooper challenged every church, mosque and synagogue to adopt one of the 600 homeless families in metropolitan Denver. Like other cities, including Los Angeles, Denver is trying to help the homeless off the streets with expanded counseling and more low-cost housing slick rap . This program would be something new. Hickenlooper envisioned congregations raising money to move families into rental housing . Volunteers would teach the parents life skills: how to plan a household budget, advance at work, go back to school, find healthcare, shop wisely. If all went well, the mentors would become friends, and tethers, for families on the edge. "So much of the talk about helping the homeless involves building affordable housing and funding services That's very important.